Electric signal system.



No. 629,792. Patented Aug. I, I899. V. T. KISSINGER &, A. TRUNKEL.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

(Application filed June 5, 1899.)

1N0 Modal.)

@WeM a Mathew I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICOR T. KISSINGER AND ARTHUR TRUNKEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

I ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,792, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed June 5,1899. Serial No. 719,356. (No model.)

To all 1071/0172 it may concern:

Be it known that we, VICTOR T. KISSINGER and ARTHUR TRUNKEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signal Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates particularly to district-telegraph systems. Its main objects are to automatically transmit from various points to a central point or station signals indicating the points or boxes where they originate and generally to improve the construction and operation of apparatus of this class.

It consists in certain novel features in the construction and arrangement of component parts of the apparatus, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram of apparatus embodying our invention.

A designates a source of electricity, which may be a battery or other electric generator.

1, 2, and 3 are wires or conductors constituting a metallic circuit which is connected with one pole to only of the generator, the other pole a of which has a ground connection. This circuit being normally closed and continuous may be easily tested for breaks, grounds, or crosses. One part 3 of this circuit includes the coils of a relay-magnet B, which controls a local circuit 4, provided with a battery C or other suitable electric genera-. tor, and a register D or other suitable device for recording or receiving signals. The relay, local circuit, and register or receiving apparatus, with their accessories, may be of the usual or anysuitable construction and arrangement for the purpose and of themselves do not constitute invention.

E E designate call-boxes or signal-transmitting devices which are arranged in series with each other and with one pole of the generator A in the main circuit 1 2 3. The sev eral oall-boxes, as shown, being of the same construction and arrangement, it will be sufficient to describe one of them in detail.

F, G, and 1-1 designate, respectively, a ratchet-wheel, a break-wheel, and a notched disk, which may be, and are preferably, mounted upon the same shaft and suitably insulated from the'frame or casein which said shaft has its bearings.

I is an electromagnet, the armature of which is carried by a spring-retracted arma ture-lever .I. One arm of this lever is provided with a pawl or dog f, which engages,

with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel F. The other arm of said lever is provided with an insulated sprin gj, which normally engages a contact 5.

g is a spring-contact adapted by engagement with the teeth of the break'wheel G, when the latter is turned, to successively close the signal-transmitting circuit, and thereby indicate on the register D or other receiving apparatus at the central station the number of the box by which the signal is sent, the breal -wheels of the several call-boxes in the system having teeth varying in number or arrangement, so as to distinguish the signals produced thereby.

h is a spring or pivoted arm, the free end of which is insulated or formed of insulated material and projects normally into the notch in the disk II.

6, 7, 8, and 9 are contact-springs insulated from each other, the two intermediate s'prin gs 7 and 8 being extended at their free ends and bent laterally, so as to be engaged by the insulated end or portion of the arm 71, when the latter is pressed outward by the rotation of the disk H. lVhen the mechanism of the call-box isat rest, with the end of the arm h in the notch of the disk II, the contacts of the springs 6 and 7 will be in engagement, but

the contacts of the springs S and 9 will be separated, as shown at the right in the drawing.

K designates a push-button or circuit-com troller placed on the call-box or in any convenient location at a distance therefrom. One contact of the push-button K is electrically connected with the contact-spring 9, the break-wheel G, and, through the winding of the magnet I, with the contact 5. The other contact of the push-button has a ground eonnection 10. The contact-springsj and 7 are connected with one wire or terminal and the contact-springs g and t are oonnected'with the other wire or terminal of the main line. The contact-springShasa ground connection;

The ratchet-wheel F, pawl f, magnet I, and armature-lever J, with their adjuncts, com

stitute an electromagnetic motor for turning the break-wheel G and disk II.

The apparatus hereinbefore described operates as follows: Assuming that an alarm or signal is to be sent in from the box designated E, the push-button K or circuit-controller associated with that box is pressed or operated to close the ground connection of the magnet I, as shown at the left in the drawing. lVhen this is done, currentpasses from pole a of the generator through the wire 1, springj, contact 5, magnet I, and contacts of the push-button K to ground 10, and thence back to the other pole a of the generator through its ground connection. The magnet I being thus energized attracts its armature, turning the lever J on its fulcrum against the tension of its retracting-spring and operating through the pawl f to turn the ratchet-wheel F and the connected break-wheel G and disk II an interval. The foregoing movement of the armature-lever J carries the spring j out of engagement with the contact 5, thus momentarily breaking the circuit through said magnet. The lever J being released by the magnet is withdrawn by its retracting-spring and carries the contact-spring j back into engagement with the contact 5, thereby closing the circuit through said magnet. A rapid vibration is thus imparted to the lever J, which turns the breakwheel G and disk II to the left, as indicated by the arrow. The ground connection of the magnet I is manually held closed by the push-button or circuit-controller K until the disk 11 has been turned sufficiently to carry the notch therein away from the adjacent end of the arm 71, which is forced to the right by engagement with the periphery of said disk, thereby carrying the contact-spring 7 out of engagement with the contact-spring (i and the contact-spring S into engagement with the contact-spring 9. The push-button may nowbe released, and the ground connection of magnet I will be maintained through the contact-springs 8 and 9 until the disk II has made a complete revolution and the end of the arm 7L drops into the notch therein.

\Vhen this occurs, the grouudconnection of the magnet I is broken and the mechanism is automatically stopped after sending in a complete signal, which is produced by one revolution of the break-wheel. As the teeth of the break-wheel successively pass and engage with the contact-spring g the signal-transmitting part of the circuit is closed and current flows from one pole a of the generator through the winding of the relay-magnet I3, wire 3, contact-springs 6 and 7 of the callbox E, wire 2, contact-spring g of the callbox IE, break-wheel G, and contact-springs 8 and E) to ground 10, and thence back to the other pole a of the generator through its ground connection. A series of impulses corresponding with the number of teeth on the break-wheel of the call-box E is thus transmitted through the relay-magnet B, which by successively closing the local circuit l produces therein a corresponding series of impulses, which is recorded or indicated by the register or receiving instrument D, thereby designating the number of the box from which the alarm or signal is sent in. \Vhen the mechanism of any call-box in the system is at rest, the circuit is maintained through the contact-springs G and 7 of that box for the transmission of signals from other boxes. \Vhen any call-box of the system is grounded, two separate circuits are thereupon established between that box and the generator at the central stationone for the operation of the electromagnetic motor and the other for the transmission of the signal, one circuit including the magnet I of the motor and the other the relay-magnet B. One battery or generator, located at the central station with the relay local circuit and receiving instrument, supplies current not only for actuating the signal-transmitting mechanism of the several call-boxes included in the system, but also for transmitting the signals there from.

Various changes in the minor details of construction and arrangement of parts of the apparatus maybe made without departing from the spiritand intended scope of our invention.

'0 claim- 1. In an electric signal system the combination with an electric generator, of a 1nc tallic circuit connected with one pole of said generator, the other pole of which has a ground connection, a number of signal-transmitting devices included in said circuit and each comprising a break'wheel, a cooperating contact connected with one part of the main line, and an electromagnetic motor [or turning said break-wheel connected with the other part of the main line, and having a manuallycontrolled ground connection, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an electric signal system the combination with an electric generator, one pole of which has a ground connection, a continuous metallic circuit connected with the other pole of said generator and signal-receiving apparatus, of signal-transmitting apparatus com prising a break-wheel, a contact cooperating therewith and connected with the side of said circuit containing the receiving apparatus, an electromagnetic motor for turning said break-wheel, connected with the other side of said circuit and having a ground connection, a manually-operated circuit-controller in said ground connection, and an automatic circuit-controller operated by said signaltransmitting mechanism in a ground connection of both the motor and breal'r-wheehsub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an electric signal system the combination with an electric genera-tor having a ground connection on one side, a normally unbroken metallic circuit connected with the other side of said'generator, and signal-receiving apparatus connected with said circuit, of signal-transmittiug devices connected in se- IIO ries by said circuit and each comprising a break-wheel, a cooperating contact connected with one part of said circuit, an electromagnetic motor for turning said wheel, connected with the other part of said circuit, a pair of contacts connected respectively with the two parts of said circuit and normally short-circuiting the associated signal transmitting mechanism, another pair of normally separated contacts, one connected with said motor and break-wheel and the other with the ground, said signal-transmitting mechanism being constructed and arranged to separate the first pairof contacts and to close the second pair when the break-wheel is started, and a manually-operated circuit-controller in a ground connection of said motor, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4-. In an electric signal system the combination with an electric generator one pole of which is connected with the ground, a normally closed metallic circuit connected with the other pole of said generator, and signalrecefving apparatus connected with a part of said circuit, of a number of signal-transmittors included in series in said circuit and each comprising a break-wheel, a contact adapted to cooperate therewith and connected with one part of said circuit, anotched disk adapted to turn synchronously with said break-wheel, an electromagnetic motor for turning said wheel and disk, connected with the other part of said circuit, a pair of normally engaging contacts connected respectively with the two' parts of said circuit, another pair of normally separated contacts, one connected with said motor and break-wheel and the other with the ground, said disk being constructed and arranged when tnrned to separate the first pair of contacts and to close the second pair and to hold them in that relation until the notch in said disk returns to its starting-point, thereby permitting said contacts to resume their 'retracted armature-lever carrying a pawl in engagement with said ratchet-wheel and provided with an insulated spring which is connected with the other part of said circuit, a contact with which said spring normally engages, an electromagnct having its winding connected at one end with said contact and at the other end with a normally open ground connection, means for manually closing said ground connection,and means operated by the si gnal transmitting mechanism for maintaining a ground connection with said magnet and break-wheel while the latter makes a revolu tion, and for breaking said ground connection when said break-wheel has completed its signal, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we hereto affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

VICTOR T. KISSINGER.

' ARTHUR TRUNKEL.

\Vitnesses:

ALBERT B. PINE, JOHN F. DoNAnon. 

